Self-traveling wheel

ABSTRACT

A SELF-TRAVELING WHEEL COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO OPPOSED WHEELS, EACH WHEEL HAVING AN INTERNAL FLANGE, WITH A CONNECTING AXLE PINCHEDLY RECEIVED AT THE CENTER OF EACH WHEEL AND DRIVE MEANS, FOR EXAMPLE A BATTERY AND AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, SAID DRIVE MEANS FREELY SUSPENDED PIVOTALLY FROM SAID AXLE WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT OF SAID DRIVE MEANS RESTING BY AT LEAST PART OF THE WEIGHT OF THE DRIVE MEANS ON THE INTERNAL FLANGE OF ONE OF THE WHEELS, TO ADVANCE THE DEVICE.

Jan. 19, 1971 J. B. ORFEI ETAL 3,555,725 i- 's EL -T AVELIN QWHEEL' F iled Oct. 2. 1968 INVENTORS v JOHN B. ORFEI v JOHN H. WALTERS ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,555,725 SELF-TRAVELING WHEEL John B. Orfei, Revere, and John H. Walters, Lexington,

Mass., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y.

Filed Oct. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 764,480 Int. Cl. A63h 17/00 US. Cl. 46-206 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-traveling wheel comprising at least two opposed wheels, each wheel having an internal flange, with a connecting axle pinchedly received at the center of each wheel and drive means, for example a battery and an electric motor, said drive means freely suspended pivotally from said axle with the drive shaft of said drive means resting by at least part of the weight of the drive means on the internal flange of one of the wheels, to advance the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a self-traveling wheel which may be used as a teaching device or toy.

As an educational device, the wheel of this invention demonstrates principles of rotation and angular speed to young students to derive the value of pi and may be a fundamental tool for teaching these principles in learning institutions below the college level.

While devices somewhat similar to the invention have been described, such as in Wulfert Pat. 2,054,644; Seaman Pat. 3,199,621; and Jackson Pat. 3,313,365; it will be immediately apparent that even these devices do not come close to the ingenious simplicity of the present invention where, inter alia, the drive mean-s is suspended directly and freely from the axle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a self-traveling wheel which represents a new simplicity in construction and operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a selftraveling wheel which is readily disassembled.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a selftraveling wheel which may be composed of readily obtainable inexpensive parts which may be readily assembled.

The foregoing objects and others are accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing a self-traveling wheel comprising at least two opposed wheels, each wheel having an internal flange, with a connecting axle pinchedly received at the center of each wheel and drive means, for example a battery and an electric motor, said drive means freely suspended pivotally from said axle with the drive shaft of said drive means resting by the weight of the drive means on the internal flange of one of the wheels, to advance the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed disclosure of this invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned front view of a preferred embodiment of the self-traveling wheel of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows the axle and drive means bearing portion 30; and

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the mounting portion 26 of frame 22.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the figures, there is shown self-traveling wheel 10 made up of opposed wheels 12 and 13 connecting axle 14 and drive means 16.

Wheels 12 and 13 may be made of any suitable material and conveniently a molded plastic material, with an internal flange portion 18 and a hub portion 20, which alternatively may extend inwardly of the wheel rather than outwardly as shown, with an internal sleeve adapted to receive axle 1-4 in a friction fit to permit ready assembly and disassembly of the wheels to axle 14.

Drive means 16 comprises a frame 22 with motor 24 rigidly secured thereto by screw 52 at one end and a mounting portion 26 at the other end, adapted to freely suspend and support drive rneans 16 from axle 14, apertures 28 and 29 permitting mounting portion 26 and the remainder of frame 22 to be freely suspended from axle 14. In reference to FIG. 2, it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment of this invention axle 14 has a grooved out bearing section 30 permitting mounting portion 26 to be recessed into the bearing section 30 to prohibit translational movement of frame 22 along the elongate dimension of axle 14. Mounting portion 26 bears on bearing 30 along the upper defining surface of aperture 28.

Motor 24 has leads 32 electrically connected by wires 33 and by alligator clips 35 to corresponding leads 34 which are electrically connected to opposite ends of battery 36. Drive shaft 38 optionally with end sheath 40 at the end of the drive shaft rests on flange 18 with part of the weight of drive means 16 on the end of the rotating drive shaft to exert an advancing force on flange 18, and wheel 12 which in turn rotates axle 14 which rotates wheel 13 to advance Wheel 10. If wheels 12 and 13 have the same diameter, the wheel will advance in a straight line, with drive means 16 remaining in the position shown in FIG. 1.

Rigidly connected to the center portion 46 of frame 22 is battery holding frame 42 with a longitudinal portion 44 terminating in downwardly extending arms 50, portion 44 secured to the center portion 46 of frame 22 for example by rivets or a weld. Battery holding frame 42 also has opposed transverse arms 48 downwardly extending from portion 44, arms 48 adapted to securely hold battery 36 in position. Of course, the battery can be readily removed from frame 42 by pulling it therefrom causing downwardly extending arms 50 and 48 to be yieldably biased outwardly to release the battery.

A self-traveling wheel made for commercial introduction and made in accordance with the invention has the following makeup: axle 14 is about 6% inches long and about in diameter; wheels 12 and 13 are made up of molded polystyrene and have a diameter of about 4% inches with the width 54 being about of an inch; the battery is a typical size D flashlight battery; frames 22 and 42 are made up of fabricated sheet aluminum to give a wheel that advances at about 24 r.p.m. on a level surface.

Although specific components have been stated in the above description of the preferred embodiments of the self-traveling wheel of this invention, other suitable materials and arrangements may be used. In addition, modifications in the structure of the preferred embodiment will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading of this disclosure including:

(a) Having a completely enclosed cylinder, or a substantially completely closed cylinder as disclosed in Gibson Pat. 2,977,714, for example, with a removable end portion for the ready removal and replacement of batteries and for activating and deactivating the drive means;

(b) Having a flange which does not coincide with the outermost extremity of the wheel, for example, having a flange which would be concentric with the flange 18 as illustrated, but only a fraction of the distance of the radius out from the center of the wheel;

It will be appreciated that the device of this invention may itself be used as a drive means for a toy or other larger mechanism to be driven;

(d) Having a drive shaft end and the inside surface of flange 18 machined so that the shaft and the flange engage in gear meshing relation rather than the frictional engagement described herein; and

(e) Having a bearing means such as roller bearings between axle 14 and the sleeve 28 in bracket 26.

It will be understood that various other changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure and all such changes are intended to be included within the principle and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-traveling wheel comprising:

(a) two opposed wheels, at least one of the wheels having an internal flange with a connecting axle secured at opposite ends to the center of each wheel; and

(b) drive means freely suspended from said axle said drive means including a drive shaft resting by at least part of the weight of said drive means on the internal flange portion of one of the wheels whereby said wheel is advanced, a frame with a motor rigidly secured at one end and a mounting portion at the other end of said frame, said mounting portion adapted to bear on said axle in freely suspended relation to said axle, and between the end portions of said frame a rigidly secured underhung power source for said motor.

2. A wheel according to claim 1 wherein said mounting portion of said frame comprises a substantially vertical portion with an aperture therein, the drive means suspended and bearing on said axle along the upper defining surface of said aperture.

3. A wheel according to claim 2 wherein the upper defining surface of said aperture bears on a recessed groove bearing portion of said axle.

4. A wheel according to claim 3 wherein at least one of said wheels pinchedly receives said axle in a friction fit sleeve at the center of the wheel.

References Cited ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l0 

